3:00pm Thursday 8th January 2009
CAUSEWAY United midfielder Ian Millward has left to go back to his former club Alvechurch.
Millward, signed at the start of the season to replace Barry Simpson, was in and out of the Causeway team this season due to injury, suspension and work commitments, He has taken the opportunity to return to Worcestershire until the end of the season after Alvechurch made a seven day approach.
Causeway boss Carl Burley said he was disappointed Millward had left but admitted the club had not seen the best of him.
He said: “I think he only played six or seven games for us in total and is injured at the moment so maybe this is the best outcome, though he will be missed.
“Barry’s boots were big ones to fill and if things had worked out differently then Ian could have been the man to do that.
“Having said that we have a big enough squad of 20 plus here so I won’t be specifically looking to replace Ian right away as we have people who can fill in.”
Burley was boosted this week by the news defender Mark Smith has turned down an offer from Coleshill and has decided to stay at the club.
He admitted he was frustrated with a period of inactivity, with the third game in a row postponed on Tuesday when the scheduled home fixture with Stratford was frozen off.
Causeway face Midland Alliance leaders Market Drayton at home on Saturday (3pm) and Burley faces a problem if it goes ahead, with three key players suspended.
Chris Field, Ben Stretton and Danny Jones have fallen foul of a rule change which means suspensions are measured in games rather than time served.
Burley explained: “With all the postponements they would probably have served their bans by now had it been for 28 days, but with it going on games, they could well miss this one.”
“That would be a shame because we need our strongest possible side, although to be fair we should have beaten them away so we will have nothing to fear if the game goes ahead.”
Causeway face two games a week for the forseeable future and are away to Rocester next Tuesday (7.45pm).
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